“We must kill SB 670!”

Senate Bill 670 (anti suction dredging legislation) will come up for a vote on Tuesday, June 16th in the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee.

Our lobbyists are asking our supporters to send as many emails as possible to the following 13 Committee Members before Tuesday of next week.

Even though you may get auto-return email messages from some of the Committee Members stating that they don’t normally respond to messages from outside their districts, our lobbyists say that your messages will still get through.

Please put the following phrase in the subject line of your emails:

Please vote “No” on SB 670!

Here are some talking points which you can cut & paste for your own fax message or email.

California Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee:

Asm. Jared Huffman (D) [Chair] San Rafael
Assemblymember.huffman@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Jean Fuller (R) [Vice-Chair] Bakersfield
Assemblymember.fuller@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Joel Anderson (R) San Diego
Assemblymember.anderson@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Juan Arambula (D) Fresno
Assemblymember.arambula@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Tom Berryhill (R) Modesto
Assemblymember.berryhill@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Bob Blumenfield (D) Van Nuys
Assemblymember..blumenfield@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Anna Caballero (D) Salinas
Assemblymember.caballero@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Nathan Fletcher (R) San Diego
Assemblymember.fletcher@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Paul Krekorian (D) Glendale
Assemblymember.krekorian@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Bonnie Lowenthal (D) Long Beach
Assemblymember.lowenthal@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. John A. Perez (D) Los Angeles
assemblymember.john.perez@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Mary Salas (D) Chula Vista
Assemblymember.salas@assembly.ca.gov

Asm. Mariko Yamada (D) Vacaville
Assemblymember.yamada@assembly.ca.gov

PLEASE REMEMBER: you must include your name and address on any message you send.

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 
Dave Mack

“Assembly Bill 1032 is a bill that is intended to modify Section 5353 of the California Fish & Game Code to prevent or curtail suction dredging on numerous waterways within California.”

 
Dave Mack

We need You to Comment on DFG’s Proposed Dredge Regulations in California!

Please make a donation to our legal Fund.

The California Department of Fish & Game (DFG) released its long-awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIR) and Proposed new Suction Dredging Regulations just as we were putting out our March newsletter. These, along with other information, can be found at DFG’s web site.

Now it is time for all of us to follow up with written comments. The deadline for public comment has been extended to 10 May 2011. Written comments should be submitted to Mark Stopher, Department of Fish and Game, 601 Locust Street, Redding, CA 96001. Or they can be faxed or emailed: Fax: (530) 225-2391; Email: dfgsuctiondredge@dfg.ca.gov.

Brief Analysis of Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR): I personally invested a healthy portion of the last month reviewing the massive SEIR and relevant portions of the California Fish & Game Code, the Resources Code and the Government Code. With the collaborative efforts of our staff and numerous responsible members that also have substantial experience in dredging matters, I have authored 38 pages of comments on behalf of The New 49’ers. This very comprehensive response can be found here in a format which allows text to be copied & pasted to help with your own written comments.

The naked truth is that DFG is attempting to impose substantial additional restrictions upon our existing suction dredge regulations (adopted in 1994). They are not doing this by providing any evidence in the SEIR that a single fish has ever been harmed by suction dredgers; but by adopting an entirely new baseline to which the affects of suction dredging are being measured.

During 1994, the impacts of suction dredging were measured against the baseline of ongoing dredging activity dating back to the 1960’s. But this Subsequent EIR is measuring the effects of suction dredging to a new arbitrary baseline of “no dredging activity” in order to make them appear to be substantial. This is because of the existing moratorium on suction dredging, according to the SEIR. But the moratorium was Ordered because DFG made Declarations in recent litigation that they had evidence to show a potential deleterious impact upon fish from ongoing dredging activity under the 1994 regulations. However, DFG’s “evidence of harm” has not materialized in their SEIR. Rather, they have decided to reevaluate all of the previous information (that was addressed in the 1994 EIR) against a “no dredging” baseline.

As if that is not bad enough; DFG has even taken it a step further in this SEIR by evaluating the negative economic and social consequences resulting from drastic reductions in our existing regulations as a “beneficial impact upon mineral development and economics.” The truth is that the burdensome additional restrictions they seek to impose upon us would eliminate dredging (in places where existing regulations allow it) across vast areas of California, and would reduce nozzle sizes along the remaining open areas to the point where it will be difficult to make money with a suction dredge. This will undermine millions of dollars worth of property values and, to a large degree, undermine dredge-mining as a small business activity in California. But rather than acknowledge the real consequences, this SEIR is measuring the economic impacts against an arbitrary “no dredging” baseline and making the case that lifting the moratorium would be a positive gain!

There are numerous mandates from the California legislature which require state agencies to measure real environmental impacts against the cost to Americans of implementing more restrictive regulations, especially upon small business. My own impression is that DFG officials have made a deliberate and underhanded attempt to corrupt this process. If you take the time to read my formal comments, I believe all of you will agree with my assessment.

It is a real awakening to discover that some government agencies are actively working to subvert the legal processes which they are supposed to follow, all in an attempt to eliminate economic opportunity that belongs to the public which they are supposed to serve.

Because DFG has overreached their legal authority with this SEIR, we have an excellent opportunity to push them back where they belong. But we are all going to have to help with this, because California is larger than Oregon and therefore requires a stronger push. It is not enough that we have figured out what is wrong with the SEIR and Proposed Regulations. We also need to generate a very loud cumulative objection! That’s where you guys come in.

Here is a sample letter or email which provides our main talking points. The addresses where the comments should be sent are at the top. It is better if you cut and paste from my sample to create your own comments, because form-comments are not as effective. However, if you are not able to do your own, you should at least add a date and send the form-comments in with your signature and address. This is a lot better than doing nothing at all. It proves that you are concerned!

It looks like we will be dredging again in California at the beginning of the 2012 season. As we will be held to the Final EIR and regulations that come out of the ongoing process, we should all work hard to make it come out as best we can right now!

Our Legal Fund Needs Your Help, Again!

All of this legal and political activity has been placing a substantial strain on our legal resources. So it is a good thing that we were out in front of ourselves pulling a new fund-raiser together.

Our existing drawing will be for three ounces of beautiful Rogue River gold that I personally mined last season. We could really use your help!

Make a Donation

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 

Please take a moment to contact the five Senators below…

Please make a donation to our legal Fund.

Oregon State Senators Atkinson, Haas and Bates have introduced SB 765, which would tax suction gold dredgers by charging a $50 annual fee for in-state dredgers and a whopping $2,500 fee for out-of-state dredgers for each county where the miner intends to dredge.

Under emergency status, this bill is now moving on fast-track through the Oregon legislative process. If passed, these unreasonable fees could be in affect for the upcoming season!

Please take a moment to contact the five Senators below to express your disapproval of this bill and remind them of the contributions miners make to the state economy.

Here is the email that we sent, individually directed to each of the Senators. Copy and paste as you see fit. We suggest it is wise to include your full name and address on your email.

Important: Please include that you would like your comments placed in the file regarding SB 765. Remember that you are exercising your right to voice your opposition to these elected officials, and they are charged with reviewing the bills brought before them-please be civil and polite. Just let them know that you oppose SB765, and you want to make sure your voice is counted on the record! The bill is presently in the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee. You should direct your comments to the following 5 senators quickly, before the bill moves on:

Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee
1 – Chair
Senator Floyd Prozanski (D)
South Lane and North Douglas Counties
District 4
sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1704
District # (541) 342-2447

2 – Co-Chair
Senator Jeff Kruse (R)
Roseburg
District 1
sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1701
District # (541) 580-3276

3 – Committee Member
Senator Doug Whitsett (R)
Klamath Falls
District 28
sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1728
District # (541) 883-4006

4 – Committee Member
Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D)
Portland/Beaverton
District 17
sen.suzannebonamici@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1717
District # (503) 627-0246

5 – Committee Member
Senator Jackie Dingfelder (D)
Portland
District 23
sen.jackiedingfelder@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1723
District # (503) 493-2804

Thank you!

Dave McCracken,
President, New 49’er Prospecting Association

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 

Please take a moment to contact the five Senators below…

Please make a donation to our legal Fund.

Oregon State Senators Atkinson, Haas and Bates have introduced SB 765, which would tax suction gold dredgers by charging a $50 annual fee for in-state dredgers and a whopping $2,500 fee for out-of-state dredgers for each county where the miner intends to dredge.

Under emergency status, this bill is now moving on fast-track through the Oregon legislative process. If passed, these unreasonable fees could be in affect for the upcoming season!

Please take a moment to contact the five Senators below to express your disapproval of this bill and remind them of the contributions miners make to the state economy.

Here is the email that we sent, individually directed to each of the Senators. Copy and paste as you see fit. We suggest it is wise to include your full name and address on your email.

Important: Please include that you would like your comments placed in the file regarding SB 765. Remember that you are exercising your right to voice your opposition to these elected officials, and they are charged with reviewing the bills brought before them-please be civil and polite. Just let them know that you oppose SB765, and you want to make sure your voice is counted on the record! The bill is presently in the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee. You should direct your comments to the following 5 senators quickly, before the bill moves on:

Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee
1 – Chair
Senator Floyd Prozanski (D)
South Lane and North Douglas Counties
District 4
sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1704
District # (541) 342-2447

2 – Co-Chair
Senator Jeff Kruse (R)
Roseburg
District 1
sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1701
District # (541) 580-3276

3 – Committee Member
Senator Doug Whitsett (R)
Klamath Falls
District 28
sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1728
District # (541) 883-4006

4 – Committee Member
Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D)
Portland/Beaverton
District 17
sen.suzannebonamici@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1717
District # (503) 627-0246

5 – Committee Member
Senator Jackie Dingfelder (D)
Portland
District 23
sen.jackiedingfelder@state.or.us
Capitol # (503) 986-1723
District # (503) 493-2804

Thank you!

Dave McCracken,
President, New 49’er Prospecting Association

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 

Subject: Oppose SB 765

New 49’er Prospecting Association

27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 www.goldgold.com

Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee, Chair
Senator Floyd Prozanski (D)
South Lane and North Douglas Counties
District 4

Dear Sir,

Our organization represents more than 2,000 active members who participate in small-scale mining activities. Our members come from many States, and also from international locations.

As you may be aware, California has issued a moratorium on suction dredging until the environmental impact report which supports our regulations can be updated. The process is ongoing, but newly-issued regulations will not happen in time for the upcoming summer season.

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) updated its own Administrative Process and issued new recreational-scale dredging regulations last year. My understanding is that 85 State-wide permits (out of about 1,200) were issued to people from California last season.

Senator Atkinson has made no secret that his intention behind SB 765 is to prevent non-resident prospectors from going to Oregon. And with a $2,500 fee for each permit, he will succeed in doing just that!

Many of our active members continue to prospect along our properties along the Klamath River in northern California. Since dredging is not allowed at the moment, they are engaging in surface mining activities (outside of the active waterway). This is all in conformance with California’s regulations and our ongoing Agreements with the U. S. Forest Service.

But to those who prefer to dredge, we have been encouraging them towards Oregon. Here is a link with several stories which we have published that promote Oregon as a friendly place to go.

Our members are made up mostly of normal middle class people (average age 62) who enjoy the outdoors and prospecting for gold. They arrive in RV’s which they place in local private parks. They eat at local restaurants, shop in local stores, buy fuel, get their hair cuts, and do all the normal things which Americans do. Wherever they set up on their vacations, or for the whole summer, you cannot find a better bunch of visitors who are helping to support the local economy.

The communities along the Klamath River in California lost millions of dollars last season because of the dredging moratorium.

We are all aware that Oregon has its own challenges in balancing its budget. I submit that the answer is to encourage more tourism to your State, rather than keep it away! All of us in the private sector know that the answer to fixing the economy is to provide more valuable goods and services, not less!

While Senator Atkinson may have his own issues with suction dredgers (issues which he has made in public statements), I can tell you from personal experience along the Rogue River last season that local businesses are quite happy to take any and all visitors who come their way!

This is not about the environment. Oregon DEQ and Department of State Lands have issued a State-wide dredging permit after studying the potential impacts.

This is about keeping non-residents from coming to Oregon! Otherwise, the non-resident permit asked for in SB 765 would not cost 50 times more than the resident permit!

This SB 765 is a crossroads for how Oregon is going to treat out-of-state visitors. The message to small-scale gold hunters is that Oregon does not want you! Is that really true?

Some of us have already purchased the existing permit from DEQ ($90 for a 4-year permit) in advance. Adding to our annual permit fee by more than100 times is a clear message. No couple will spend $5,000 on permits so they can spend a few weeks, or even a whole summer, enjoying what Oregon has to offer! Who could afford that?

With projected (perhaps much) higher gas prices by summer, it is already going to be difficult for Oregon to attract out-of-state visitors.

I encourage you to not allow this harmful bill to prevent out-of-state Americans to enjoy Oregon’s waterways.

Respectfully,

Dave McCracken
President, New 49’er Prospecting Association

 

“We must kill California Senate Bill 670!”

Dear Fellow Gold Prospector,

Our lobbyists in Sacramento have been working aggressively on our behalf to overcome California Senate Bill 670 which was introduced by Senator Wiggins on February 27. If passed into law, the bill would prohibit the State of California from issuing any further suction dredging permits until the Department of Fish & Game (DFG) has adopted new regulations pursuant to a full update of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that was completed in 1994.

The earlier EIR is what has supported our existing regulations for the past 14 years. This was completed after a very long and contentious process in which every potential impact upon fish from suction dredging was carefully considered. While they have refused to present any evidence showing that suction dredging under our existing regulations has ever harmed a single fish in California, the Karuks have been challenging the earlier EIR because it has not been updated since 1994.

During earlier litigation which we Intervened in, the Alameda Superior Court in California Ruled against the Karuk Tribe and DFG, deciding that DFG could not change our suction dredge regulations without first reviewing the existing EIR through the proper administrative process (which requires the least-restrictive regulations to be imposed upon private industry to resolve problems which must be demonstrated by best available science).

Ultimately, the Court Ordered DFG to conduct a proper review of our EIR. But the review process has basically been stalled because California is having serious financial difficulties (which are likely to continue).

If the Karuks have their way, this legislation will prevent further suction dredging in California until the full environmental review is completed. Then they will continue to do everything within their power, as they have already been doing, to make sure the review process is never completed! You guys see how this works?

Our lobbyists are right on top of this as the legislative process is underway in Sacramento. They are now asking for us to encourage all of our supporters to immediately send a letter, fax or email to Senator Wiggins which opposes SB 670, with copies to 2 other senators and Governor Schwarzenegger.

Here is a ready-made message (email, fax or letter) in opposition to SB 670. It is better if you just use this sample to write your own message. But if you do not have time to do that, please at least copy the text from our sample message over to create your own fax, letter or email to the Senator.

If you don’t know how to copy and paste material off the Internet, please click  here.

To make certain your message actually makes it to the Senator’s desk and to the other lawmakers, our lobbyists are asking that you please direct them to one of the following addresses:

The New 49’ers, P.O. Box 47, Happy Camp, CA 96039

Or Fax your message to: (530) 493-2095

Or email your message to:

The girls in our office, along with our lobbyists in Sacramento, will then make certain that your message is delivered to the office of Senator Wiggins and to the other key lawmakers on the list!

Important: Even though you send your message to our office, the heading of the message should be addressed to Senator Wiggins as shown in our sample message.

Very important: You must include your own full name and return postal address on whatever letter, fax or email that you send to the Senator. That is the only way that these lawmakers can recognize and weigh the importance of your communication!

Thank you very much for your help in this very important matter!

Please Help to Support our Legal Fund!

Because our need to raise funds is immediate, once again, we have our ever-vigilant member, Jim Yerby, to thank for organizing yet another set of very valuable prizes for a prize drawing – which is already in progress. In addition to 53 very nice prizes which have been donated by others, we also are expressing big thank you to Jeff Kuykendal at Proline for donating a brand new 3-inch Proline dredge (worth $2,500.00) as our main prize, and to Louie Welding for donating a 2 ½-inch dredge/high-banker combo!

Here is a link to the list of prizes in this latest fundraiser.

The contributors of these prizes have authorized the girls in our office to print a ticket on your behalf for each $10 contribution that we receive from you ($100 contribution will generate10 tickets, etc.). This prize drawing will take place on 4 July, 2009. There is no limit to the number of tickets you can accumulate, or the number of prizes that you can win in this drawing.

Important note: The legacy of small-scale mining for precious metals in America is in our hands. This represents one of the last true freedoms remaining; we still have the right to freely explore for rich gold deposits and claim them for ourselves once found. We really ought to hold onto that one! Don’t you agree?

Please send financial contributions to: The New 49’ers Legal Fund, P.O. Box 47, Happy Camp, CA 96039. Or, you can call in a donation at (530) 493-2012 .

Thanks very much for whatever you can do to help with the immediate matters at hand!

Dave McCracken

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 
Dave Mack

“We need your help now more than ever…”

Update concerning SB 670

As many of you are already aware, Senate Bill 670 (anti-suction dredging legislation) was overwhelmingly passed by the California Senate several weeks ago, and then received unanimous approval last week in the first Committee within the California Assembly. Our staggering defeats in trying to kill this harmful bill have prompted me to ask our lobbyists to perform a very careful evaluation of our prospects for success in the Assembly and/or with the governor.

Here is what our lobbyists had to say about how things went down last week in the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee. This will give you a good idea of what we are up against. It is not good!

In the event that SB 670 is passed into law (which would likely happen in September or later since California is struggling with crippling budgetary problems), no further suction dredging would be allowed in California’s active waterways until the Department of Fish & Game (DFG) completes an updated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and adopts new or revised suction dredging regulations, if necessary. As this will take some time to complete, our 2010 (and perhaps 2011) season(s) hangs in the balance.

Preliminary research by our attorneys suggests that if SB 670 is passed into law by the State of California this fall, we have a reasonable chance of successfully overcoming it in federal court this winter. Our legal challenge would be based upon a strong legal theory that the State of California does not possess the authority to bypass its own formal administrative process and eliminate our federal mining rights (especially since no evidence has been brought forward that suction dredgers have ever harmed a single fish).

Action Alert

Senate Bill 670 will be heard in the Assembly Appropriations committee on July 1. Since we have zero chance of stopping the bill there, our lobbyists are asking us to direct immediate Action towards members of the full California Assembly and the governor, as follows:

1) California residents please send an email to your own Assembly member and Governor Schwarzenegger. Please click here to find the correct email address for your particular Assembly member.

2) Persons residing outside of California please send an email to
Governor Schwarzenegger. (Note: Once you click on the “email” link, after typing in the required details, in the “subject” box click on “Other” at the bottom of the menu options. Then on the final page, click on “Con,” place “SB 670” in the “Subject” box, and type or paste your message in the “email” box. Please remember to include your name and address at the bottom of your message).

For those of you who prefer to fax Governor Schwarzenegger, the number is: (916) 558-3160 or (916) 327-1009.

Here are some talking points to help you draft your own email in opposition to SB 670.

Please remember: You must include your full name and address on any message that you send to your assembly member or the governor!

Our lobbyists are telling us that volume of messages to these officials are our only remaining chance to kill this harmful bill within the California legislative process. So please spread the word around that we need as much participation as possible right now!

Your Help is also Needed to Support our Legal Fund!

Once again, I want to thank all of you who have responded to our past calls for financial assistance to help pay the specialists we have hired to defend our industry.

I am informed that we have received a May legal billing in the amount of $17,000. Our legal account presently has a balance of $8,266. This leaves us with a deficit of $8,734. While we are making some progress in catching up on past-due legal bills, it would be much better if we could catch completely up during our existing prize drawing which ends on July 4th. That’s just 2 weeks from now! Can you please help a little more?

Here is a link to the prizes included in this latest fundraiser.

In addition to 53 very nice prizes which have been donated by myself and others, we also are expressing big thank you to Jeff Kuykendal at Proline for donating a brand new 3-inch Proline dredge (worth $2,500.00) as our main prize, and to Louie Welding for donating a 2 ½-inch dredge/high-banker combo!

The contributors of these prizes have authorized the girls in our office to print a ticket on your behalf for each $10 contribution that we receive from you ($100 contribution will generate10 tickets, etc.). This prize drawing will take place on 4 July, 2009. There is no limit to the number of tickets you can accumulate, or the number of prizes that you can win in this drawing.

Any funds that are received after the drawing takes place on July 4th will be issued drawing tickets in our next prize drawing.

Our girls are automatically issuing drawing tickets to every legal contribution that we receive from any of multiple ways of sending money. You can make legal contributions by calling into the office at 530 493-2012. You can mail a check to The New 49’er legal fund, 27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039. Or you can also use a credit or debit card by using our new (secure) on-line form which can be found here:

Make a Donation

Thanks very much for whatever you can do!

Dave McCracken, President
New 49’er Gold Prospecting Association

The New 49’ers27 Davis Road, Happy Camp, CA 96039 (530) 493-2012

www.goldgold.com

 

(Name and address of assembly person)

Please Oppose Assembly Bill 1032

This is not the same bill that you voted for before on the Assembly Floor. AB 1032 has been amended so many times in so many different ways that it seems it is designed to confuse the Legislature!

The bill closes California rivers and streams to suction dredge gold mining without any environmental review or public process!

The closures in the bill are based upon the “opinions” of two Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists in a recent court case. The judge did not accept these “opinions,” ruling that DFG must do a fair and honest environmental review prior to implementing any closures.

AB 1032 closes rivers and streams before any review is done.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that suction dredge gold mining causes no harm to fish when the activity is done within existing California regulations. Suction dredge gold mining is already heavily regulated. It is limited to only 2-3 months per year on most waterways.

AB 1032 closes many waterways all year round without providing any biological justification.

Many suction dredge gold miners possess federal mining claims. Others own private property along these waterways. These are real property rights which belong to thousands of Americans. By closing the rivers year round, the state will in effect “take” these property rights from the property owners.

AB 1032 will destroy a vibrant part of California’s ongoing golden heritage, undermine the economies of rural counties and deny citizens pre-existing property rights – all without providing any demonstrable benefit to the public. Passage of AB 1032 will undoubtedly lead to expensive litigation as citizens have their property rights taken from them.

Please vote “No” on this measure when it comes before the California Assembly.

Sincerely,

(Your name and address)

 

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Office of the Governor State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I urge you to veto Assembly Bill 1032 (Wolk) when it comes before you.

Regardless of the recent amendments, this bill should be vetoed for the following reasons:

AB 1032 turns California’s environmental law upside down and denies the average citizen our right of appeal by not requiring any proof of harm or damage to species under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The bill closes California rivers and streams to suction dredge gold mining without any environmental review!

The closures in the bill are based upon the “opinions” of two Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists in a recent court case. The judge did not accept these “opinions,” ruling that DFG must do an environmental review prior to any closures.

AB 1032 closes some rivers to suction dredge gold mining year round and then requires an environmental study will be done on these rivers. How can an effective study even be done if the activity is banned in these rivers?

There are numerous studies which have demonstrated that suction dredge gold mining causes no harm to fish when they are not spawning. Suction dredge gold mining is heavily regulated and limited now to only 2-3 months per year on most waterways within California.

Many suction dredge gold miners have federal mining claims. These are real property rights. By closing rivers year round, the State will in effect “take” these the productive use of these property rights from citizens. There have been numerous Federal and State court cases which have upheld these federal property rights. If it is signed into law, AB 1032 will surely result in more court cases against the State.

The bill will undermine a vibrant part of California history, destroy the economies of rural counties, and deny citizens their property rights – all without providing any demonstrable benefit to the State.

My family, myself and many other ordinary Californians enjoy this activity for both recreation and to make extra money. The allure of this activity is the same as that which brought the 49ers to California during the Gold Rush. It is an important part of California’s heritage.

This is not an inexpensive hobby or avocation. I spend a great deal of money on equipment, lodging and contribute to the economy of mostly rural California. Many visitors come from other states and countries to enjoy this great outdoor activity, all for the possibility of finding gold. If signed into law, AB 1032 would put an end to most of this economic activity in rural California.

Please veto AB 1032.

Sincerely,

(Be sure to include your full address.)

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